+
“A balm for the soul”
  review on Goodreads
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy
Identity

Formerly enslaved man's response to his 'master' wanting him back is a literary masterpiece

"I would rather stay here and starve — and die, if it come to that — than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters."

slavery, historical letters, black Americans, history
GOOD

A photo of Jordan Anderson.

In 1825, at the approximate age of 8, Jordan Anderson (sometimes spelled "Jordon") was sold into slavery and would live as a servant of the Anderson family for 39 years. In 1864, the Union Army camped out on the Anderson plantation and he and his wife, Amanda, were liberated. The couple eventually made it safely to Dayton, Ohio, where, in July 1865, Jordan received a letter from his former owner, Colonel P.H. Anderson. The letter kindly asked Jordan to return to work on the plantation because it had fallen into disarray during the war.

On Aug. 7, 1865, Jordan dictated his response through his new boss, Valentine Winters, and it was published in the Cincinnati Commercial. The letter, entitled "Letter from a Freedman to His Old Master," was not only hilarious, but it showed compassion, defiance, and dignity. That year, the letter would be republished in theNew York Daily Tribune and Lydia Marie Child's "The Freedman's Book."

The letter mentions a "Miss Mary" (Col. Anderson's Wife), "Martha" (Col. Anderson's daughter), Henry (most likely Col. Anderson's son), and George Carter (a local carpenter).

Dayton, Ohio,
August 7, 1865
To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee


Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jordon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy, — the folks call her Mrs. Anderson, — and the children — Milly, Jane, and Grundy — go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve — and die, if it come to that — than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,
Jordon Anderson

Learn more about Jordan Anderson here.


This article originally appeared on 11.03.17.


From Your Site Articles
history
Joy

Teen with a fishing magnet found a safe full of cash. And then he returned it all to its owner.

The safe was stolen 22 years ago.

via Wikimedia Commons

It's incredible what a double-sided magnet can do.


A new trend in treasure hunting called magnet fishing has blown up over the past two years, evidenced by an explosion of YouTube channels covering the hobby. Magnet fishing is a pretty simple activity. Hobbyists attach high-powered magnets to strong ropes, drop them into waterways and see what they attract.

The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019, a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate.



Fifteen-year-old George Tindale and his dad, Kevin, 52, of Grantham, Lincolnshire in the U.K., made an incredible find earlier this month when they used two magnets to pull up a safe that had been submerged in the River Witham.

George has a popular magnet fishing YouTube channel called “Magnetic G.”

After the father-and-son duo pulled the safe out of the murky depths, they cracked it open with a crowbar and found about $2,500 Australian dollars (US$1,800), a shotgun certificate and credit cards that expired in 2004. The Tindales used the name found on the cards to find the safe’s owner, Rob Everett.

Everett’s safe was stolen during an office robbery in 2000 and then dumped into the river. “I remember at the time, they smashed into a cabinet to get to the safe,” Everett said, according to The Daily Mail. “I was just upset that there was a nice pen on my desk, a Montblanc that was never recovered.”

The robber, who was a teenage boy, was apprehended soon after the crime because he left behind a cap with his name stitched inside.

The father and son met up with Everett to return his stolen money and the businessman gave George a small reward for his honesty. He also offered him an internship because of the math skills he displayed in the YouTube video when he counted the Australian dollars. “What’s good about it is, I run a wealth management company and… I’d love him to work for us," Everett said.

Although the safe saga began with a robbery 22 years ago, its conclusion has left Everett with more faith in humanity.

“I was just amazed that they’d been able to track me down,” he said. “There are some really nice and good people in this world. They could have kept the money, they could have said they attempted to get hold of me.”

“There’s a big lesson there. It teaches George that doing good and being honest and giving back is actually more rewarding than taking,” Everett added.

Treasure hunting isn’t the only allure of the hobby for George. His mother says the hobby has taught him a lot about water pollution and its effects on local wildlife. “George is very environmentally conscious. He always has been since primary school,” she said. “When he first started to do this, he was after treasure. Everything ends up in the rivers and canals.”


This article originally appeared on 04.25.22

From Your Site Articles
good samaritan
Internet

Mom sparks debate when she reveals entire family shares the same deodorant stick

"Why would he have his own? I'm not paying for another stick of deodorant."

Photo credit: Canva

Does your household share deodorant? Mom sparks debate.

Personal hygiene is, well...personal. Everyone has their own hygiene routine that is personalized to them, their needs and abilities. Typically no matter who you are personal hygiene includes soap, water, toothbrush, toothpaste, sometimes razors, hair care products and deodorant.

Generally, very few things that touch your body are shared with other people in your household. Many family members will share shampoo, body wash and toothpaste but that is usually where the sharing of hygiene supplies end. At least according to a lot of confused people on the internet.

The debate started after a mom took to the internet in an effort to prove her husband wrong in his way of thinking. Missusmom, complained to her 89.7K followers that her husband wants her to buy their son his own deodorant after the deodorant disappeared.

This request from her husband left the mom of three flabbergasted because the idea of buy their son his own deodorant seemed like a ridiculous request.

That's when she decides to ask the internet, "do all of the people in your house share deodorant or does each member that wears deodorant have their own stick of deodorant?"

After giving the back story to why she's asking the question, she explains what she feels the "right answer" is leaving viewers confused and some a little grossed out.

Faint Fainting GIF by DrSquatchSoapCoGiphy

"I'm not buying five to eight sticks of deodorant every month. I would need to put extra money into our budget but we all use clinical strength deodorant. That's like $10 to $12 a thing. I'm not spending $60 to $80 on deodorant just so everybody can have their own stick. Am I crazy and wrong or is he delusional, because personally I think he's delusional," Missusmom pleads her case.

Unfortunately, the results of her plea did not turn out the way in which she expected resulting in nearly 50k comments and numerous video replies explaining that it's not normal for families to share the same stick of deodorant.

Some people were very passionate about not sharing hygiene products including deodorant, toothbrushes, razors and wash cloths.

woman holding blue and white bottle Photo by Ana Essentiels on Unsplash

"Never in my life have I heard of ANYONE sharing deodorant unless they were in dire need," one person shares.

"I'm sorry but I have never known anyone who HAS shared deodorant. In fact, we all have multiple sticks. The kids have one for home, one for their gym locker, sports bag, ect.," another commenter explains to the mom.

"I have been poor, I mean poor poor but I have never shared a deodorant," someone else says.

@missusmom♬ original sound - missusmom

A few people pointed out the risk of cross contamination of skin conditions like this commenter, "toothbrushes, razors, hairbrushes, and deodorant are not a shared product. What if someone had a staph infection or impetigo?"

"I was 15 when I got a blocked duct it swelled up with puss and I had to have it lanced and drained. The suspected cause?? My brother stealing and using my deodorant and then me using it after I shaved transferring bacteria," someone warns.

Work Sweating GIFGiphy

This is something that has clearly struck a chord with people giving the mom something to think about but she's not completely alone in her thought process.

There were several comments that mentioned sharing deodorant with their significant other, though they didn't share the hygiene product with their children.

Others confessed confusion as they didn't understand why the mom's reasoning on the cost increase, "I'm confused. Aren't you finishing deodorant twice as fast by sharing anyway? So buying everyone their own stick would just make you have to replace it less frequently."

@amaramunroe #stitch with @missusmom ♬ original sound - missusmom

Is the mom onto something with sharing deodorant or should everyone have their own stick? Put your thoughts in the comments.

From Your Site Articles
sharing deodorant video
Family

Married couple swears by the '3-Hour Night' as a relationship game changer

"If you’re stuck in a rut with your evenings — try this!"

@racheleehiggins/TikTok

Want out of a relationship rut? The Three hour night might be the perfect solution.

Almost every long term relationship suffers from a rut eventually. That goes especially for married partners who become parents and have the added responsibility of raising kids. Maintaining a connection is hard enough in this busy, fast paced world. Top it off with making sure kids are awake, dressed, entertained, well fed, oh yeah, and alive…and you best believe all you have energy for at the end of the day is sitting on the couch barely making it through one episode on Netflix.

And yet, we know how important it is to maintain a connection with our spouses. Many of us just don’t know how to make that happen while juggling a million other things.

According to one mom, a “three-hour night” could be just the thing to tick off multiple boxes on the to-do list while rekindling romance at the same time. Talk about the ultimate marriage hack.

The three-hour night was something that Rachel Higgins and her husband began incorporating into their lives at the beginning of this year. And so far, “it's been so fun and such like a game changer for how our evenings go,” she says in a clip posted to TikTok.

Before using the three-hour night, the evening would look a bit like this: their daughter would go to bed, they would lounge on the couch, scroll through social media, then fall asleep. Sound familiar?

But with a three hour night, Higgins and her husband divvy up the time before bed into three section, each for a different focus.

In the first hour, starting around 7 p.m., is what Higgins calls “productive time,” during which the couple sees to any household chores that might need to be done.

“So start with like a quick cleanup of the kitchen or just like things that accumulated throughout the day, and then we try to do something that either ... has been being put off or cleaning the bathroom or like organizing the pantry or hall closet or something like, super random like sharpening the knives. Anything that's productive for the household,” she explains.

@rachelleehiggins if you’re stuck in a rut with your evenings try this! i saw someone do something similar to this a while ago but can’t remember who! #marriage #1sttimeparents #newyearsgoals ♬ original sound - Rachel Higgins

Next, the second hour is geared towards re-establishing a physical or emotional connection in their marriage. The phones go away, and they focus only on enjoying one another.

“So, that could be things like showering together or ‘having fun’ together, playing a game together, or just like anything that's gonna get you guys talking and connecting or like debriefing from the day or just like talking about what you're doing and like the plans for tomorrow or like how works going or whatever. So, anything that's gonna connect and strengthen and build your marriage,” Higgins says.

Lastly, the final hour of the night is dedicated towards anything Higgins and her husband individually want to do, any sort of personal recharge activity.

Since this is a judgment free time, Higgins states that “If you just want to lay on the couch and scroll your phone and watch TikToks or whatever like watch YouTube videos,” it’s totally acceptable.

Higgins’ novel approach definitely interested viewers, who chimed in with their own questions. One major concern was how the heck this could be done every night. But even Higgins admits that she and her husband don’t succeed at having a three-hour night every night—they usually try for about 3-4 times a week. And honestly even once a week could still probably be beneficial in building intimacy.

Others wondered how to have a three-hour night when things randomly popped up in their schedule, like when kids won’t magically go to sleep promptly at 7pm. Higgins shares that in these cases, they tend to just shorten each phase. The point being: these can and probably should be customizable, even fun, rather than yet another rigid chore.

Plus, a three hour night (or whatever your version of a three-hour night may be) is a great way to remind yourself just how high of a priority your relationship has in your life…no matter what else is going on at the time. Odds are you'll probably find you do have more time for it than you previously thought when you set aside time for it.


This article originally appeared on 1.8.24

From Your Site Articles
marriage
Pop Culture

Watch an 11-year-old shred 'Master of Puppets' and give it a sitar-like riff on 'AGT'

This might be even better than the one from Stranger Things.

America's Got Talent/Youtube

Listen, Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” has always been cool. But ever since Eddie Munson played it to save his friends and become a heavy metal hero in “Stranger Things,” the song has had a resurgence.

But while tons of people have put their own spins on this badass tune, you’ve never heard a cover quite like this.

Maya Neelakantan, an 11-year-old guitar prodigy from India, previously wowed “America’s Got Talent” audiences with her rendition of Papa Roach’s “Last Resort” back in June.

But for her quarterfinals performance, she took things to the next level with this notoriously complicated thrash track. Surprisingly, this song had never been attempted before in the show’s history.

Not only did Neelakantan nail all the song’s technical aspects like a guitar virtuoso, she also added in a nod to her own culture with a raga-esque guitar riff reminiscent of a sitar.

Watch Maya Neelakantan blow “AGT” audiences away with her epic cover of “Master of Puppets” below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Unsurprisingly, judges were blown away.

“I think you’re just one of these people that had a god given talent,” gushed Simon Cowell, who called this performance a real “step up” from her audition.

Meanwhile, Howie Mandel dubbed her “Eddie Van Halen, reincarnated.”

Down in the Youtube comments, online viewers were equally floored, especially given Neelakantan’s age. (Note: Neelakantan was 10 at the time of her ‘AGT’ audition, but has since turned the ripe old age of 11).

“Wow. This child is mature beyond her years - in her talent and conduct.”

“Bro a 10 year old shredding one of the most difficult pieces to shred EVER created is mfn INSANE. Maya KEEP ON SHREDDING LIL SIS WE LOVE YOU!!”

“I literally jumped out of my seat when I heard the first few notes. I love Metallica and I love this girl! I’m currently learning to play the electric guitar and she is a huge inspiration for me.”

“HOLY CRAP!!!!! She is 10 years old!?!?!? She is fricken fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥”

“MayaTallica!!”

According to her Wikipedia bio, Neelakantan first got her love of heavy metal from her father who also has a passion for Metallica riffs. With his help, she began playing at the age of 6, with her first song being "For Whom The Bell Tolls."

Despite being an overt Metallica fan, it was Neelakantan’s cover of "7empest" by Tool that thrust her into viral fame in 2022. It was even seen by Tool guitarist Adam Jones, who not only immediately followed her Instagram account, but also gifted her a Gibson electric guitar.

Neelakantan is also well studied in the traditional Carnatic music style commonly associated with South India, which she intentionally fuses with metal music to create something new.

"When I listen to thrash metal, I become pumped and energetic. Carnatic music, on the other hand, gives me a spiritual and divine feeling. The atmosphere would immediately change the moment Carnatic music is playing. So I wanted to merge them both. I really loved how music takes you on a journey,” she said.

And that’s exactly what you get when you listen to Neelakantan’s music. Something bombastic and heart pumping…and utterly divine. That’s metal, baby.

From Your Site Articles
music
Popular

Couple in their 30s live permanently on cruise ships for a little over $10K a year

“I’m not a millionaire ... I just live full-time on cruise ships.”

via Matthew Barra/Pexels

A magnificent cruise ship on the ocean.

Giving it all up and retiring to live on a cruise ship at 32 seems like a lifestyle choice only available to the ultra-wealthy. However, two financially savvy retired school teachers from Tennessee have managed to do just that, spending under $10,000 for the first eight months at sea.

Monica Brzoska, 32, and Jorrell Conley, 36, met in 2015 while teaching in Memphis, Tennessee. The following year, they booked a week-long cruise to Mexico, Belize, and Grand Cayman. After that, they were hooked on cruising together.

Eight years later, in March 2023, they booked a week-long Caribbean cruise. When it was over, instead of returning home to Memphis, they had a wild idea: Why not continue to book consecutive cruises? So, they did just that.

Monica was inspired to start living the life she always wanted after her father fell ill and her mother told her: "Don't wait for retirement. Follow your dreams."



The couple crunched the numbers and found that if they chose the cheapest cabins and used the deals they’ve received from Carnival Cruises, they could book the first 8 months for just under $10,000. “It sounds mad, but the numbers made sense. Accommodation, food and entertainment would be included – we’d only need spending money,” Brzoska told The Sun. “And because we’d been on so many Carnival cruises, we’d earned access to some amazing offers.”

Hopping from ship to ship isn’t difficult for the couple because many disembark from the same ports. But they sometimes have to fly when they can’t walk to the next ocean liner.

The couple then quit their jobs, sold their possessions, and started a new life on the high seas. They rent out their 3-bedroom home in Memphis to maintain steady cash flow. The average 3-bedroom home in the area rents somewhere between $1200 to $1900 a month.



Over the first year of their new life, the couple completed 36 consecutive cruises. They have already visited countless destinations across the globe, but they can’t choose a favorite. "For a cultural experience, we loved Japan," Brzoska told a Carnival Cruise director on Instagram. The couple also loved Greece for its “history” and Iceland because it was the "closest to being on Mars."

One of the most incredible benefits of loving on a cruise ship is that so many things are taken care of for you. The couple never has to cook any meals, do any laundry or drive. Every night, there is something to do, whether it’s checking out a comedy show or enjoying drinks and dancing in the nightclub.



Plus, on cruises, just about all the costs are covered, so you rarely have to open your wallet. It’s a stress-free, all-inclusive lifestyle. Brzoska says that when you remove the everyday stresses from life, it’s great for your marriage. “Without the daily stresses of life, we rarely argued, but always told each other if we needed space or more time together,” she said.

The couple also makes sure to have one date night a week, during which they dress up and have a nice meal together.

Most people may be unable to give it all up and live their lives hopping from ocean liner to ocean liner. But there’s a great lesson in the story of Brzoska and Conley: You never know how much time you have left, so don’t wait for retirement to live the life of your dreams.

Upworthy has reached out to Brzoska for comment and is still awaiting a response.









Trending Stories